Improvement in wire-fences



F'. GLI DDEN.

wire-Fences.

Patented Nov. 24,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

J OSEPH F. GLIDDEN, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WIRE-FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,124, dated Nuvember 24, 1874; application filed October 27, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. GLIDDEN, of De Kalb, in the county of DeKalb and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvementin fire-Fences; and that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents aside view of a section ot fence exhibiting my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional view, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view, of the same.

This invention has relation to means for preventing cattle from breakingthrough wirefences 5 and it consists in combining, with the twistedfence-wires, a short transverse wire, coiled or bent at its centralportion about one of the wire strands of the twist, with its free endsprojecting in opposite directions, the other wire strand serving to bindthe spur-wire firmly to its place, and in position, with its spur endsperpendicular to the direction of the fence-wire, lateral movement, aswell as vibration, being prevented. It also consists in the constructionand novel arrangement, in connection with such a twisted fence-wire, andits spur-wires, connected and arranged as above described, of atwistingkey or head-piece passing through the fencepost, carrying theends of the fence-wires,

and serving, when the spurs become loose, to

tighten the twist of the wires, and thus render them rigid and iirm inposition.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter B designates the fenceposts,the twisted fence-wire connecting the same being indicated by the letterA. O represents the twisting-key, the shank of which passes through thefence-post, andis provided at itsend with an eye, b, to which the fence-Awire is attached. The outer end of said keyr is provided with atransverse thumb piece, c, which serves for its manipulation, and at thesame time, abutting against the post, forms a shoulder or stop, whichprevents the contraction of the Wire from drawing the key through itsperforation in said post.

The fence-wire is composed at least of two strands, a and z, which aredesigned to be twisted together after the spur-wires have been arrangedin place.

vent them from vibrating laterally or being pushed down by cattleVagainst the fencewire. Although these spur-wires may be turned at oncearound the wire strand, it is v preferred to form the central bendfirst, and to then slip them on the wire strand, arranging them atsuitable distances apart. The spurs having thus been arranged on one ofthe wire strands are xed in position and place by approaching the otherwire strands z on the side of the bend from which the spurs extend, andthen twisting the two strands a z together by means of the wire keyabove mentioned or otherwise. This operation locks each spur wire at itsallotted place, and prevents it from moving therefrom in eitherdirection. It clamps the bend of the spur-wire upon the wire a, therebylholding it against rotary vibration. Finally,

the spur ends extending out between the strands on each side, and wherethe wires are more closely approximated in the twist, form shoulders orstops, s, which effect-ually prevent such rotation in either direction.

Should the spurs, from the untwisting of the strands, become loose andeasily movable `on their bearings, a few turns ot' the twisting-key willmake them firm, besides straighteniug up the fence-wire.

Wha-t I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A twisted fence-wire having the transverse spur-wire D bent at itsmiddle portion about one of the wire strands a of' said fence-wire, andclamped in position and place by the other wire strand z, twisted uponits fellow, substantially as specified.

JOSEPH F. GLIDDEN.

Witnesses:

G. L. CHAPIN, J. H. ELLroTT.

